Diving apparatus



F. w. PENDERGAST.

DIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27.1919.

/y/WMM ATTYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

DIVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

Application led February 27, 1919. Serial No. 279,595.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Fimnnm'cx lV. FENDER- Gas'r, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in DivingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a diving apparatus wherebyan observer or observers may descend to the bottom of a body of waterfor the purpose of locating sunken vessels, etc., the apparatus beingsufficiently buoyant to maintain it normally at the surface, andprovided with means whereby it may be submerged and maintained at ornear the bottom, the submerged means when in operation overcoming thebuoyancy ofl the apparatus and holding it down, and when inoperative,permitting the apparatus to rise to the surface, the apparatus beingprovided with means for propelling it horizontally, and for directingits horizontal movement.

My invention does not contemplate the provision of means for enabling anobserver to leave the apparatus while it is submerged,

the chief function of the apparatus being to enable an observer thereinto locate sunken vessels preparatory to raising them by other means.

The invention is embodiefl in the improvements which I will now proceedto describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciicatiomi Figure1 is a vertical section of a diving apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of aportion of the structure shown by Fig.1, the movable part or spindle, hereinafter referred to, beingdifferently adjusted.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the line, anchor, and float hereinafterreferred to, as they appear when in operation.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in allof thefigures. Y

My improved apparatus includes a strong metallic shell adapted tocontain one or more observers and to resist external water pressure whensubmerged to la considerable depth. As here shown, the shell is composedof a cylindrical metal body 12, an upper head 13, and a lower head 14,these parts being suitably connected to form a fluid-tight receptacle'or' chamber, the several' openings hereinafter described in the wall ofthe shell being closed against the admission of water. rThe wall 12 isprovided with a sight opening protected by a heavy externally convexglass lens 15. Two or more of these protected sight openings may beprovided, the lens 15 being sufficiently thick and heavy to resist anyVwater pressure to which it may be subjected.

16 represents a buoyant external float, formed as an annular jacketsurrounding the upper portion of the cylindrical body of the shell andcomposed of cork or any other suitable material, the buoyant materialbeing preferably incased for protecting it against abrasion, and thejacket being preferably confined between external flanges on the shellby metal hoopsor bands 17. llhe float 1G-is located above the center ofgravity of the shell and is so proportioned that it imparts suflicientbuoyancy to the shell to normally maintain the latter at the surface ofthe water, with its longitudinal axis upright, so that the head 13 willalways be at the"1 upper end and the submerging propeller hereinafterdescribed at the lower end, said head being provided with a manholehaving a suitable cover 18 adapted to be released both from the interiorand exterior of the shell.

The wall 12 is preferably reinforced internally by annular metal bands19, so that the shell is adaptedto resist heavy external pressure.

2O represents a compressed air reservoir formed as a helical tube, theconvolutions of which surround the passenger-containing space in theshell, so that provision is made for storing an ample volume ofcompressed air, without encroaching objectionably on the space requiredby the observers. The reservoir 2O is provided with an outlet cock 21,to release air to the interior of the shell. Suitable means, not shown,should beprovided for forcing vitiated air from the shell into thesurrounding water. l

22 represents a longitudinal shaft extending through the lower end orhead 14 of the shell, and provided with a submerging propeller 23adapted, when rotated in one direction, to draw the chamber downward ina body of water to any desired depth. The shaft 2O may be driven by anelectric motor 211..

25 represents a lateral shaft extending through one side of the shellbetween the upper and lower ends thereof, and provided with a lateralpropeller 2G, adapted to impart a sidewise movementV to the shell. rllheshaft 25 is driven by a motor 27 through any suitable drivingconnections, connecting the motor Vshaft 28 with the shaft 25. As hereshown, said shafts arel provided with sprocket wheels connected by asprocket chain 29. j

30 represents a tubular elbow-shaped or angular rudder-post having aninner horizontal portion journaled in a bearing in the vall of theshell, and an outer portion which stands at an angle `to the journaledinner portion, and is provided at its outer end with an incandescentelectric lamp 3l, or with a plurality of such lamps inclosed in a heavyglass protector, preferably formed as a hollow sphere of glass and ofsuliicient thickness to withstand heavy water pressure. The lead wiresconnected with the filament of the lamp 3l are extended through therudderpost 8l) and connected with a source of electricity, such as astorage battery 33, which may be also connected with the motors 24 and2T. rlhe rudder-post 30 is adapted to be turned by an occupant of theshell, the inner end of the post being here shown as provided with acranlr 34. An observer in the shell is therefore enabled to swing thelamp through an arc of a circle, and thereby illuminate differentportions of the water adjacent to the sight opening, the lamp beingpreferably normally arranged above the sight opening, as shown by Fig.l.

l utilize the rudder-post 30 to carry a rnd-- der 35, which is caused,by swinging movements f the post, to direct the horizontal movements ofthe shell caused by the lateral chamber 26.

Theshell is provided with a floor 36, separated froln the lower end orl1ead`l4 of the shell by a space which contains the motors and storagebattery above referred to. The lower end or head 14 is provided with anannular guard or protecting cage 37, surrounding the submergingpropeller and open for the free movement of water in all directions.Said guard prevents the propeller from striking the bottom or any objectin the-path of the shell during its descent.

39 represents a fixed hooked arm attached preferably to the lower end ofthe shell and projecting therefrom, said arm being so formed that it maybe caused, by imparting combined horizontal and verticalV movements tothe shell, to engage a cable, or other object, and move the same as maybe desired.

An observer enters the shell while its upper end is above the surface ofthe water, the man-hole cover 18 Vbeing then closed. The submergingpropeller 23 is then driven and submerges the shell to any desireddepth. rlhe observer looking through the sight openings is enabled tosee any submerged vessel that may be illuminated by the lamp.Y lt isnecessary to continuously rotate the submerging propeller to maintainthe shell at the desired depth. Vhen the operator desires to move theshell sidewise, the lateral propeller 26 is driven, and the rudder isused to directithe course. The operator is therefore enabled to move theshell about, so that its sight openings may face in any desireddirection. lle is also enabled to impart upward movement to the shell,by stopping the rotation of the submerging propeller, or by reversingsuch rotation. The arm 39 may be moved, therefore', under a submergedcable, and then moved upward to engage the cable and move it to anotherposition. VihenV the rotation of the submerging propeller is stopped,the bouyancy of the shell causes it to rise to the surface. Thismovement may be accelerated, if desired, by reversing the rotation ofthe subnierging propeller. lllhen the shell is moving vertically, thelateral propeller is at rest.

To enable the location of a sunken vessel to be marked, l provide theshell with a coiled line 40, havingV at one end an anchor 41, and at theother end a float 42. The shell is provided with suitable means operableby an occupant for releasing the line and permitting the anchor to dropto the bottom, and the float to rise to the surface, as indicated byFig. 3. The coil-'confining and releasing means here shown, is embodiedin a fixed elbow-shaped arm 43, and a horizontal rod 44, movable in anorifice in the wall of the shell. `When the rod is retracted, as shownby F ig. 2, the-coil 40 is placed in position to receive the rod, thelatter being then projected through the coil and against the outer endof the arm 43, as shown by Fig. l. The coil is thus secured to the shelland may be released by retracting the rod 44 against asuitable stop 45.

The openings in the wall of the shell through which the propellershafts, the light-carrying arm, and-the rod 44 pass, are provided withsuitable-stufling boxes to form water-tight joints around the saidparts.

The construction of the shell may be such that it will withstandwaterpressure of four hundred and fifty pounds to the square inch,thisbeing the pressure at a depth of one thousand feet. for use intaking submarine photographs, the` sight openings being madeconsiderably larger than here shown. rllhe shell may be provided withelectric or other heating means. j

'It will beV seen that the described rapparatus is independent ofhoisting means at the surface and is self-submerging and selfraising. Y

l. A dirigible diving apparatus Ycomprising a duid-tight shell composedof a cylin- The shell may be adaptedV drical body and heads at oppositeends oi the body, a tubular float surrounding` one end portion of thebody and arranged relatively to the center of gravity of the shell tomaintain the shell with its longitudinal axis vertical, so that one ofsaid heads is at the upper end and the other head at the lower end, theupper head being provided with a man-hole, and with a cover therefor, avertical shaft journaled in a bearing in the lower head, and providedwith a propeller adapted to move the shell vertically in eitherdirection, a horizontal shaft journaled in a bearing in the body betweenthe heads, and provided, with a propeller adapted to move the shellhorizontally, and steering means composed of an angular rudder-posthaving an inner horizontal portion journaled in a bearing in the bodyadjacent to the horizontal shaft bearing, and an outer portion at anangle to the inner portion, and a rudder attached to said outer portion,said steering means being adapted to change the course of the apparatuswhen'it is moving horizontally.

2. A. diving apparatus substantially as specified by claim l, the saidrudder-post being tubular and provided at its outer end with an electriclamp, the tubular post serving as a conduit for conducting wires.

3. A diving apparatus comprising a passenger-containing luid-tight shellhaving means whereby it may be moved vertically in a body or' water, theshell being provided at its exterior with bottom-marking means, composedof a buoy, an anchor and a coiled line 'connecting the float with theanchor, and with means for releasably securing the line to the shell,said means being operable by an occupant of the shell to detach the lineand permit the buoy to rise tothe surface, and the anchor to drop to thebottom.

In testimony whereof I have aiiXed my signature. hi

FREDERICK W. X PENDERGAST.

mark Witnesses C. F. BROWN, GRACE T. PENDERGAST.

